Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Minister mentioned that the current service model focuses on -- primarily on children that are birth to five years of age. And we know that typically at about age six children age out of the system, and the model that -- sorry. They switch to a consultation model at age six. So given the impacts of COVID-19, is Health and Social Services looking to increase or remove this age-out limit to increase access to services in our community schools and that includes in Yellowknife here. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we're not looking at making that change.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, given that there is a national shortage of speech language pathologists, is health working with ECE to create a hybrid model of partnerships, resident speech language pathologists, and community-based paraprofessionals to provide the much needed on-the-ground support in our community schools. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Member knows, NTHSSA and the department do work collaboratively with ECE in this area. And in the next fiscal year, the department is preparing for a review specifically of the speech language pathology services to understand the current service gaps and identify opportunities to improve services. And that work will include NTHSSA, Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the Tlicho Community Services Agency, and ECE. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Kam Lake.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last year I asked that the wait times for rehabilitative services like OT, PT, and speech be publicly reported. The Minister shared an interest in advocating for greater transparency of wait times. So can the Minister share any updates on if and when this type of reporting will be available in real time like an online dashboard. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we do have a high-level service dashboard that is available online, but it doesn't drill into the level that the Member is asking for. And so I will follow up with her to give her specific times for Inuvik, Stanton, and Fort Smith. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's quite clear that the scope of practice of our pharmacists is falling well behind the rest of Canada. And whether that be for emergency prescriptions, prescriptions for minor ailments, adapting in managing prescriptions, ordering lab tests, there is all sorts of things that pharmacists can do in the rest of Canada that they can't do here. So my question for the Minister of health is will we expand the scope of practice for our pharmacists? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are aware that the practice of pharmacy has expanded since our Pharmacy Act had a last substantial overhaul and that the pharmacists are able to deliver a greater scope of practice than they have historically and that that includes administering specific medications as well as prescribing them, which would be a huge help as things stand now. So we are planning to draft regulations to bring pharmacists into the Health and Social Services Professions Act and to do that work early in the life of the next Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a method to reduce arrears, can the Minister commit to establishing a periodic verification of income options for tenants. Thank you.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Housing NWT.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't -- I would like to follow up with the Member as well. Yes, I would like to follow up with the Member. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. What local housing organization staff training is required on culturally respectful communication and developing relationship with Indigenous people. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Member for the question. And my apologies that I just requested to follow up with the Member because I didn't -- I just needed the question to be clarified. But I'll follow up with her separately. Thank you.

Right now we are going through a policy review right throughout housing. We've got 41 policy reviews that are currently happening. Cultural sensitivity is something that will be -- that will be included in the training for the local housing authorities as well. During this time that I've had the portfolio, I've also recognized language barriers were also an issue. So that will also be addressed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. According to the 2021 Northwest Territories Housing Corporation Annual Report, rent arrears were forgiven in Behchoko and Whati. Why were no arrears forgiven in Wekweeti and for Gameti. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you for the Member for asking the question as well too because we do go through a lengthy process when we're looking at forgiving accounts. They usually would have to do with very extreme circumstances and situations. I can follow up with the Member as well too for just a further description on how that process works. We also have to abide by and report to the department of Finance and to this government as well too. There is a lengthy process for us to be looking at those accounts. Some of them are denied, and some of them are approved. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Monfwi.

Mr. Speaker, majority of the people -- majority of the Indigenous people are living in public units; therefore, it is important for housing employees to be Indigenous. I want to ask the Minister what are they doing to build the capacity. What is the Housing NWT doing to build their capacity? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And also I just want to comment too that, you know, the numbers that we do have for Indigenous employees is quite high throughout housing. We do have the local housing authorities as well in the smaller communities. Majority of our budget is allocated to smaller communities. Also here in headquarters, I don't have the number with me on hand, but I can also provide that further information to the Member as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these questions are for the Minister of Health. I'd like to ask the Minister who funded the two medical worker positions. Was it new funding through this government, or was it re-profiled from within existing Hay River Health and Social Services budget. Thank you.